Stream-or-spray gun



Feb. 13, 1945. A. .1. KuNz sTREAM-oR-sPRAY GUNv Filed Feb. 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet? Patented Feb. t 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENroFFIcEn i m 12,369,357. ,i i o `s'rRaiM-ort-seits v con Arthur J- Kunz, Prietviliaila `appliation rebruaryze, miaiseiaiuN. l132,491,

comme `(ci. zaai-144) e This invention relates to a relatively light porti ablexdevice for selectivelytraining either a solid stream or a fine spray of aqueous fluid on a target, such as an incendiary bomb, for example,

although the device is adapted `for general use y Wherever such a selectionof discharge may be desirable, as in the fighting of forest fires, ap-

plication of insecticide to trees, shrubs, chicken houses, or disinfectants to exposedor obstructed places in atticsfcellars, closets, or other `parts of domestic dwellings,` industrial'` establishmenta` hospitals, jails and so forth, A i e One object of the invention is to construct `the device in such a manner that it Will normally produce the spray discharge, to prevent accidental playing of `a solid stream of Water on` a"'bomb'by any excited' person picking the device up for use against 4burning incendiaries, which `may cause the bomb to explode: i

Another object of` the inventionis to provide the. device with a manually operablecontrol valve which must be intentionally actuated to changefrom the spray discharge to the? solid? stream discharge;` and to place the control handlegfor the valve in such a position with fre` spect to the main handle of the device as not to" be grasped and operated unintentionally in the excitement and haste of initiating discharge of4 iiuid whena'bomb isencountered.

Another object of the invention is to'arrange the nozzles from which the spray `and stream are respectively discharged, at divergent angles` to eachother, in order` that the gun` Will have to be reaimed at the target when it isdesired` stream instead of the Spray from thegun.

`Anotherfobiect of the invention is to construct; the device in such a manner that it canbe held,

aimed, and operated, for stream Vor spray` discharge in or" by the useof `only one hand, Aleavins the `other hand. of` the `Operator `free to ec# discharge automatically'gf ing had `to `the accompanying draw-ings, `of

which:` Y A l Figfllis a pictorialization `of the devicein use,showing the `cliscl'iai'ge of a spray offluid toward and around `a burning incendiary/Vaud il!-A Fig. 2`is an enlarged sectional `viewfof the. l

main 'body of the gun, showing the `control `valve in its normal released position t'o eiectthe spray i Fig.'3 .is avew similar to Fig. 2 with `the valve i moved to" a `position forefiecting the `stre-am `discharge;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. shovving` the valve in position toeliminate `all discharge; 7

"Figi 5 is a 'sectionalviewi of the spray'` charging nozzle; u f e flig.` 6 "is a sectional `View of the streamdis charging nozzle; and i e e i Fig. 'I is a view of `a modied form of` the 4in-` ventioln.l e

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises a main .body Ll, having ahandle Z'extendingxfrom onecf itss'ides vand fa pair oftubes 3 arid'aextendingfrom its opposite side."`

As shown in Fig. 1,.the'ftnbe'` is of relatively Shorter length thanthe tubezkwith vthe-portion 4tjof 'the 121,110@` which `lies adjacent the body` i, arranged with its axis siibstantiall'y `parallel t0, the axis( Qi the shorter *tube 3; and` `with the,

l outer portion `4b of the tribe 4 arrarisedwith its tirate a stirrup pump, or tohold` a `prot-,eating blanketor other shield `in front of his body or face as he approaches the bomb within effective range of the gun, Which,` forexample, would preferably be approximately ten feet` for` the spray and thirty feet for `the `solid stream. 4T Ifheconstruction and operation of thefdevice Will' be ifully disclosedfhereinafter, .reference be axis at an. acute angie'togtlieaxis ,Qf eatiihe 3,:V `',Ijhe outer end `of the tubels (Figj) ishprof4 vided With'a readilydetachable nozzle 5y `having a smooth through :bore ii fQl dischangingi.aque-l 011s iiiiid in the forni` ci 2L `Solidistrewn;andvifith a readily .removable screen l ,for e preventing -fforeign solid matter .fram setting into aiidfclgeing thebore. i e `The `Outer end 0i the portion 4b, .oiflthe tube 4 Fis- 5); is provided with a ,readily `deta.eligible nozzle l0 having ai throughsrnallbore Il adapt#- ed to impiega liquid against abafe i2 ,carried'lby the nozzle itfr breaking 1.1i@` @Stream f om 'f bore KI l 'into a .fine sprayias. Shot/nin, Fia l;

, Obviously Qtherjiorm of., Spraypiiidlicine nozzle 1:friay be siibSiii.liieci"for the particular one Shown inhibe! 'present Case witheiii' departing from the spirit o fthe invention.

AsshoWnVin Fifgf, the tube/3 is also provided with` a readiiy eremi)tatiestarter;i3K rerjpeyeptg g ing foreign `-rriatt'er"-{from clogging kthe nozzle 'i 0;

The handle 2, in the present instance, is also in the form of a tube or is provided with a central longitudinal bore I4 for passage of liquid from a suitable source into the body I, for direction into either the tube 3 01 the tube 4.

The outer end ofthe handle 2 is provided with a .readily detachable hose coupling I5 and a readily removable screen I6, by which latter foreign matter is prevented from` entering the body I. l

The body vI is provided with a bore I9 in which is slidably mounted, for axial movement, a control valve 2li.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, the bore I9 of the body I, communicates with portsA 2| ,22 and 23 leading to the bores of the handle 2, tube latch in place.

3 and tube 4 respectively, with the port 2| located equidistantly between the ports 22 and 23, axially of the bore I9. l Y

The control valve is in the form of a piston of suicient length, as shown in Fig. 4, to be intermediate and clear of both discharge ports 22 and 23,'while completely closing the inlet port 2 I.

When the valve 20 is depressed, as shown in Fig. 3, its -upperr end lies below the inlet port 2I and permits passage of fluid from said inlet port, upwardly through the bore I9 and'into ythe discharge port 22 for passage into. and .through the stream tube 3. g

When the valve 2|] is raised, as shown in Fig. 2, its lower yend is above the inlet port 2|, permitting uid to flow into and downwardly through the bore I9, from the inlet port 2I into the discharge Vport 23 and thence to the spray tube 4.

The valve 20 is automatically raised to the spray producing position of Fig. 2, by a spring 24, `lo cated in `the lower end of the bore I3; vand is adapted to Vbe manually depressed into its shutoff position of Fig. 4, 'or its streamproducing position of Fig. 3, by a lever 25 having a thumb plate 26 on its outer end, which normally lies in a relatively high position above the handle 2 and close to the side of the body I so as t0 be out of the way when the gun is grasped hurriedly for action.

The piston valve 20 is provided witha stem 2'I whichv passes through a packing gland 28 carried by the upper end of thevalve cylinder provided by the body I of the device.

The end of the lever 25, opposite the thumb pad 25, is pivotally connected by a link 29 to the body I .or to the upper tube 3, with the lever adapted to be pivoted to or slidable within a head 35, preferably the latter, so that the lever may be moved into a position outwardly from the body I, over the handle 2, as shown'in Fig. 3, for example.A

`In order to hold the valve 20 in its shut-01T position of Fig. 4, any suitable catch may be provided, such as the latch 3l shown in said figure to catch the lever 25 or its thumb pad 26.`

Preferably a spring 32 is provided to move the latch 3| to and hold it rmly in its inoperative position of Figs. 2 and 3, in order to' prevent the latch from catching the lever 25 and preventing it `from permitting the valve 20 to` return automatically to its spray position of Fig. 2, when released vfrom its stream .position of Fig. 3. The `underside of the head 33 of the latch 3| is undercut at 34, onan upwardly inclining angle to grip a reversely inclined shoulder on lthe heel of the thumbpad 26, so that the upward pressure exerted on' the lever 25 by the valve spring 24 will overcome the lateralfforce exertedV The latch 3| is readily released by a slight downward pressure applied to the thumb pad 26,

which 'permits thespring 32 to swing the latch` to its inoperative position by the undercut 34 of the latch slipping off the shoulder 35 of the thumb pad.

the valve cylinder I, between the closed end 36 thereof, and the lower end 31 of the piston valve To bleed out uid trapped in the lower end of v 20, the stem 21 is bored axially and laterally, as

Y its fluid controlling positions.

Preferably the handle 2 of the device is insulated, electrically, to prevent shock to the operator in the event' of the stream or spray impinging upon a barel live wire which might be torn loose and exposed by the bomb being fought. For this purpose the handle 2 ispreferably provided with a sleeve v42 of dielectric material, such as rubber, Bakelite etc. The lever 25, and latch 3I -for similar reasons are preferably insulated either by coating with or being formed of dielectricmaterial.

Ii' desired the lever. 25 may be replaced by a knob 45 on-the upper end of the valve stem 27,

i as shown in Fig. '7.

I claim:

1. A hand device for discharging fluid-at a deftending axially beyond the upper end of said body, a lever extending transversely across said stem i,

opposite end of the lever to said body.

2. A hand device for discharging uid at a ,definite target, comprisinga body portion, a handle projecting from said body portion, a'pair of tubes extending from said body portion, a spray nozzle carried Vby the outer end Vof one of saidr tubes, a stream nozzle carried by the outer endof the other ofl said tubes, a plunger valve slidably mounted in said body to control the flow of uid to said tubes selectively and including a stem extending axially beyond the upper end of vsaid body,` a lever extending transversely across said stem and including a finger pad at one end lying above said handle, means pivotally connecting the opposite endof the lever to said body, anda spring for moving said lever in the direction'oi its length to hold said pad in position adjacent said stem. l 3. A hand device for discharging fluid at a definite target, comprisinga body portion, ahandle projecting from said body portion, a pair of tubes extending from said body portion, a spray nozzle carried by the outer end of one of said? tubes, a stream nozzle carried by the outer end of the other of said tubes, a plunger valve slidably mounted in said body to control vthe ow of -iluidto said tubes selectively and including a stem stem and including angerpad at one end lying above said handle, means pivotally connecting the opposite end of the `lever to said body, `and a latch` for engaging the pad end of the lever to retain the valvein position preventing flow to either of said tubes` i l 4. A hand device for dischargingfluid at a denite target, 'comprising a body portion, a handle projecting from said body portion, a pair of` to said tubes selectively and including a stem A extending axially beyond the upper end of said body, a lever extending transversely across said l stem and including a `nger pad at one end lying above said handle, means pivotally connecting the opposite end ofthe lever to said body, a latch for engaging the pad end of the lever to retain the valve in position preventingllow to either of `said tubes, and a spring fornormally `retaining said latch in an inoperative position out of the` path of said lever.

5. A hand device for discharging iluid at a "definite target, comprising a body portion, a handle projecting from said body portion, a pair of tubes extending from said body portion, a spray nozzle carried by the outer end of mev of said tubes, aA stream nozzle carried by the outer end of the other of said tubes, a plunger valve slidl ably mounted in said body to controlthe-iiow of iiuid to said tubes selectively and including a stem extending axially beyond the upper end'of said body, means resiliently projecting said stem beyond said body, and a finger pad for depressing said stem to actuate said valve in opposition to said resilient projecting means.

6. A hand device for discharging uid at a ,A

definite target, comprising a body portion, a hanrdle 4projecting from said body portion, a pair of tubes extending from said body portion, a spray nozzle carried by the outer end of one of said n tubes, a stream nozzle carried by the outer end i of the other of said tubes, aplunger valve slid- 'ably' mounted in said body to control' the iiow of uid to said tubes selectively and including a stem extendingiaxially beyond the upper end of said body, meansresiliently projecting said `stern `beyond said body, a finger pad for depressing said stern to actuate said valve in opposition to said resilient projecting` means, and a latch for engaging said nger pad to hold said valve in a predetermined position to prevent flow of uid i to either of said tubes.

ARTHUR J. KUNZ, 

